One position that is expected to get a lot of attention from the Raiders this offseason is at defensive tackle. Johnathan Hankins is a free agent and he is getting older. They don’t have a pass-rushing threat on the roster and need to improve their overall depth at the position.
However, what is the best way for the Raiders to attack that need this offseason? Would they be better off finding a few veteran players using their draft capital elsewhere? Or should they use one of their top picks on a player like Jordan Davis or Devonte Wyatt?
Well, the answer might be both. In a recent article by Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus, he wrote about how the Raiders should solve their need at defensive tackle. Here are his thoughts on how they might address their interior defensive line this offseason:
“There are a lot of stopgaps in this free agency defensive tackle class — but not much in the way of guys warranting big-money deals. That might actually be a good thing for the Raiders, who need a whole new defensive tackle room.
An ideal scenario would involve signing someone like Folorunso Fatukasi to play nose and drafting Houston defensive tackle Logan Hall at Pick No. 53. That’s a nice mix of NFL-readiness in the 27-year-old Fatukasi, who should get a multi-year deal, while shooting for the moon on a toolsy three-technique.”
Renner is right that there are a lot of viable free-agent options available at defensive tackle. If the Raiders are just searching for a run-stopping player, they can find one at a pretty cheap price.
However, the biggest issue will be finding a bonafide pass rusher. Logan Hall from Houston fits, but he is likely to be gone before the team picks in Round 2. But someone like Devonte Wyatt at No. 22? That makes more sense.
Look for the Raiders to be highly aggressive addressing defensive tackle this offseason. And don’t be surprised if they use a combination of cap space and draft picks to fix that spot.
